Display apparatus



0a. 7, 1930. R, M, CRMG 1,171,552

DISPLAY APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 14 1925 K114. CI'dijd- Patented Oct. 7, 1930 UNITED STA ES PATE.

RICHARD M, CRAIG, OF 's iv Anroiv o, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, B MESNE ASSI T0 THOMAS w. MENEFEE, or sA ANTONIO, 'rExAs T OFFICE YGNMENTS,

"DIsrLAY ArrARA'rU's' Original application fi1ed August 14, 1925, Serial No. 50,330. Divided and this I Serial No. 330,936,

. p This invention relates to display apparatus and more particularly to an advertising sign of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,698,216, issued January8, 1929, of which the present application is a division.

One object of theinvention is to provide a sign board having overlapped characters painted thereon against a neutral background in pigment colors contrasting with each other and subjected to spectral colors emitted by lamps in a controlled circuit so that the char acters may beprominently displayed or ab-' sorbed according to the colors of the light rays thrown against the sign board.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a sign which will be attractive in ap-- pearance and arouse the interest of an ob server.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein is shown an em-. bodiment of the invention including a sign board and lights together with a circuit for the lights.

In the description which is to follow, reference will be made to pigment colors and by this term is meant colored pigments or the colors in which the images are represented on the display surface. Where reference is made to spectral colors such reference applies tocolors of the spectrum as represented by colored light rays. Reference will also be made toneutral colors, which I employ as backgrounds, and by neutral colors I mean such as do not materially change under thespectral colors by which the images are displayed or, in other words, those which dis play no decided color characteristics such as relate to primary colors, and remain of about 7 the same apparent density under complementary or primary colored light rays. 7

In the accompanying drawing the numeral 40 represents a display surface on which images are partially overlapped or superimposed and the display surface will preferably be painted to provide neutral areas 41 and 42 which will be, in the illustrated embodiment, respectively dark and light in color. As an example of this adaptation of the principles of the invention, one or more words comprising an advertisement, are

, lapped. Thus,

painted upon the background areas, each letter of each word being represented in two shapes and sizes, and portions ofthetwo representations of each letter being overfor example, the letters of one word-are painted upon the background 41 in red, forexample, as indicated by the numeral 43, i-n one size and style of letter, and the corresponding letter in another size and style willybe printed in green, as indicatedby the numeral 44. V The letters of another word are printed, for example, 42," in green, as indicated by the nurneralf43, in one size and style of letter,-andthe corresponding letter. in another size and style .will be painted :in Ifed as indicated bythe numeral 44. Whereanyportions of the two letter representations 43 and-'44 overlap, the overlapping portions, indicated by the nu- Ineral 45','will1 be represented in white, inasblack or dark neutral background Ina like manner, Where any portions of. the letter representations 43 and 44" vensp; they will source of red light rays; and the", numeral'47 a sourceof blue light raysfjfItwill now be apparentthat when the display. surface is illuminated by the redlightrays, the letter representations 44 will be obliterated, and the letter representations 43 and the overlapped portions 45 willstand out vividlyagainstva black or dark background; At this time,the letter representations 44', which are inred, will be obliterated as they appear on the white or light background area 42, and the letter representations 43" together with the overlapping portions 45 black, white background. On the jother hand, when the display surface is flooded withblue light, the representations 43 will be obliterated and therepresentations 44 together with the overlapping portions 45, will stand out. vividly J overlapping portions 45" will stand outsub-w application filed January upon the background which latter are in, will .both appearblacl; against the v 1: much as these-letter representations are on a taceis alternately flooded with red and blue light rays. This application-"of the principles of the invention is, of'course, not limited to the display of letters, for various images might be arranged in more or less overlapped relation andisimi'larly; displayed. Furthermore, this application of thezprin ciples of the invention is not limited to the use of contrasting backgrounds, for light neutral or dark neutral backgrounds might be employed. 1 i I Itw'ill be evident that While reference has beenmade to the use of pigment colors in the representation of the images or other matter to be displayed, they maybe represented by surface having a and C are arranged in staggered relation so that the circuit Will be successively alternately closed through the bulbs of the two distinctive colors.

VVha't is claimed is:

Display apparatus comprising a'display background of a neutral color bearing vdifi'erent matters to beadisplayed and represented in contrasting 'pi'gment colors, the'maaers having mutually overlapping portions represented in a neutral color contrasting With the neutral color of the background, andlmeansi for displaying said surface successively in the presence of contrasting spectral colors each of which corresponds to-a respective one of the first mentioned pigment colors.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

. RICHARD'M. CRAIG. [11.8.1

colored lithographic-prints, dyes, opaque or transparent one]: water colors, etc., and the invention may be employ-ed vfor advertising,

'theatricah amusement', educational-and other In-"thefembddiment ef 'theinveneeh illiis- 'trate'd and'descri-bed, theprinciples have been "'adapted' primari ly'to advertising displays,

but it will be understood that this is merely representative ofoneapplication of the principles of thef'invention and thattheprin 'ciples may be. employed in color displays for any purposes whatsoever such forexample as scenic efiects, amusement displays, educational displays, walls, 'cabarets', etc.

" It is,.of'course, essential to employ means for effecting illumination of the display sur- 'facewhich.means will operate automatically,

andinasmuch'as there are many flashing devices whichmay be employed for thispurreference I have illustrated in connection with the 1 letterA,Which may be a rotary disc of insulat ng 'material having concentric serlesof contact stripsB and C'upon its face disc for rotation, Wires E- serving-to electriin circuit Witha shaft'D .which supports the cally connectthesaid contact strips and the shaft, and a conductor Wire" F being led from j the shaft -to oneside of ajsourceof current supply. indicated bythe numeral G. A conductor WlIGH leads from the other side of the .sourceof current supplyfand is connected to oi: the electric light bulbs I V Brushes i I and J arearranged tofcoact respectively fwith the contact the sockets for all regardless of their distinctivecolors.

stripsB and C, and conductor Wires K Y-ndLL are led respectively from the brushes I and J and are connected,

onewiththe other terminal of, each socket for alight bulb of one color and the other with the other terminal of the socket for each light bulb of the other color. The contact stripsB 

